


Night Vale is (not) real

by Dopple_Girl



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-07-26 19:55:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7587763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dopple_Girl/pseuds/Dopple_Girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A stereotypical WTNV high school AU, until it's not. </p>
<p>Cecil is the talkative new kid, Carlos wants to be a scientist, and his friends are placing bets on when they'll get together. It's all good and adorably cute. </p>
<p>Until the new episode airs. That's when everything changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, look at me writing another fanfic to the ones I can already barely handle. So I hope you like. I've only written this chapter but I have a plan. And I'm aiming for the change to happen around Chapter 3. 
> 
> Also, all beginning of the chapter quotes are from WTNV or the Twitter feed. Don't ask me the episode though. I frankly have no idea.

> **Today you will meet a beautiful stranger. Actually hundreds of beautiful strangers. Everyone is beautiful and you will know almost none of them.**

  
"Loser!"  
"Freak!"  
"Nerd!"

Carlos was used to the names at this point. He was used to having his legs kicked out from underneath him or his books traveling record distances across the hallway. Used to the view of the floor as his nameless bullies pushed him harder to the floor. He was used to it at this point. Because he got bullied almost every day. For three reasons.

He wasn't straight  
He wasn't white  
He wouldn't fight back

Carlos stayed on the floor at this point, waiting for the silence again before releasing a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He wanted to lay on the tiles longer, just stay there until the last bell rang and he could go home. That would be nice.

But Carlos had science. He wasn't going to miss science.

Pain surged through him as he attempted to push himself onto his knees. The usual places of his back, chest, and hips felt sore. His legs, too, but he'd assess the damage on those later. Looking up, he saw his papers scattered across the hall, ranging in distances from 10 to 30 ft. He sighs, then crawls over to begin picking up the papers.

"Can I help?" A voice, an unknown voice breaks through the silence. It's high pitched, but not in a annoying way. More like it hadn't exactly deepened yet.

"No, it's fine." He dismissed. "I can take of it ..." A hand crossed into his line of vision, brushing against his own, and soon he looked up to see whom it belong to. The boy was about his age but unfamiliar to him. He wasn't too tall, too short, too thin or too fat. But he was really cute.

"Hi." He said, seeming as stunned as Carlos was. He didn't make a move to remove his hand. Neither did the boy.

"Hello." Carlos said, unsure of what else. The boy smiled. He lifted his hand from the paper and held it out to Carlos.

"I'm Cecil." He replied. "Cecil Gershwin Palmer. I'm new, if you didn't already guess. I was trying to find my next class when the bell rang and I saw you lying on the floor and I didn't know what to think! But I then you got and you kinda seemed to be in pain so I wanted to help. And well since I'm talking to you I thought maybe you could show me where my class is because, again, I'm new and I just moved here. Oh, maybe you could show me around the town too. I saw a diner that looked like one from my hometown and I smelt the food and it smelt good, so maybe on Saturday we could there for lunch and I'm sorry but what was your name again?"

"I never told you." Carlos said, picking up the last of his papers. "But I'd be happy to show you where your class is. My science teacher is very understand when it comes to me."

"Oh! I think I have science too!" His voice seemed to crack as the pair stood up. Cecil began fishing around his backpack before realizing the schedule was in his pocket. "Sorry about that. When I get nervous I ramble and forget things. More often the former."

"I could tell." Carlos commented, but Cecil didn't seem to hear him.

"Ok, so I'm in Room E119." He stated. "Is that your class?"

"No, I'm in E118. It's just across the hall. Follow me." Carlos began to show him down the hall, ones that were understandably confusing for a new student. They didn't even get to the end when Cecil began rambling again.

"Thank you so much. You look really smart and don't really have to waste your time on someone like me. I'm not even in any AP classes like that. Except AP English. I really good at English because I want to be a news report/ journalist when I grow up because I admire the one back at home on the radio. Do they have a radio station here and if so are they looking for new interns? I used to intern at my old radio station before my mom made me and my brother move. My brother doesn't think my voice is cut out for radio but I think if try hard enough I could make it one day and be successful with a house and a nice husband. Wouldn't that be neat?"

"And we're here." Carlos proclaims, ignoring Cecil's questions for the time being. He points to the door on the right. "That's your classroom and this one here is mine."

"Thanks again for doing this. It's really ..." Cecil begins before Carlos begins to cut him off.

"It's fine. I remember how hard it was when I was a freshman." There's more silence. "Well, bye."

"Bye." Carlos' hand is on the doorknob but is stopped. "Wait."

"What?"

"You never told me your name." Cecil tells him, but it's more of a question really.

"It's Carlos." He smiles, and enters the classroom quickly before his cheeks can become even redder than usual. The teacher looks up briefly, but the black and blue is enough for him to briefly nod and continue the lesson. Carlos slips into his seat in the back of the room, left to dwell in his own thoughts.

He cannot get Cecil out of his head.

<(•)>

"What's up with you?" Nilanjana repeated to Carlos, having missed the first time she said the question focusing on his perpetual motion experiment. They, along with Rachelle, Stan, and Dave, were together in the single science lab after school. Like usual.

"Nothing." He clarified. "Im absolutely fine. A scientist is always fine." This earned him a glare.

"That's what you keep saying." Stan insisted.

"But it doesn't explain the red checks in Physics." Dave pointed out.

"Or why you wouldn't take your eyes off the new kid in lunch today." Rachelle added. "Seems like Mr. Scientist has a crush."

"I do not!" Carlos exclaimed, his cheeks turning a shade of red.

"Ding ding ding. We have a winner." Nilanjana commented, earning herself a glare from Carlos.

"Somebody fill me in. What new kid?" Stan asked.

"It's none of anyone's business." Carlos said.

"Cecil Palmer. Energetic and talkative person who just moved to town with his mom and brother, Austin." Dave answered. "You know, the one who you complained about in Math that 'talked you into extinction'"

"Oh, that kid. What does Carlos see in him?"

"No clue. But in all honesty, my theory is ..."

"Alright, settle down boys. And Rachelle." Nilanjana interrupted. "Now is not the time for theories. Now's the time to place your bets. We doing kissing or getting together? And also we doing weekly, biweekly, or monthly?"

"Why must you intrude in my love life?" Carlos groaned, letting his head fall naturally to the lab table. Some of the beakers rattled a little, but overall nothing broken.

"Because we're your friends." Rachelle said. "That's what we do. Oh, and we are definitely doing biweekly, Nils."

"Can we do the kissing one?" Dave asked. "Last time we did the Get Together pool with Rachelle with David and look how that went."

"It's not my fault the guy was a jerk." She defended. "And the fact I realized this after I kissed him was not my fault."

"This isn't about the past." Nilanjana reminded them. "This is about Carlos and Cecil kissing and eventual getting together." Carlos lifted up his head just enough to look at Nilanjana.

"You are never going to let this go, are you?" He asked, directing it as a general question to the whole group but specifically directing it to Nilanjana. He felt a hand on his back, and turned his head to see Stan, who was laughing.

"No, no we are not." He assured. "That's what friends are for. Now, are going to be betting on Carlos or what?"

<(•)>

"Hey Carlos." He heard Cecil say behind him. Carlos closed his locker, and turned to look at the new student. He also tried as much of his strength trying not to blush. "You know, I don't really know my way around town yet, and I was wondering if you could, maybe, show me around?"

Was ... Was Cecil asking him out on a date? I mean, they were both 16, or at least he was assuming Cecil was 16, but they were old enough. And Cecil was cute. But ... he wasn't sure if Cecil was the type of person who would ... go out with a guy. Most people were straight, and he seemed normal enough to be that way. Didn't he mention something about a wife?

"Uh ..." was all that came of Carlos's mouth. Oh, yeah, real smooth.

"It's fine if you don't want to." The other boy rushed in. "Some boys are uncomfortable around me since I date people of my own gender. I can understand if you're ... homophobic." He spat out the last word like it was curse.

"No, no. I'm fine with that." Carlos said, now slightly more relieved. "Can I get your number?"

"Sure!" Cecil seemed to squeal, trying to fish out a piece of paper and pen out of his pocket. He found the paper, but not the pen. "Do you ..?"

"Yeah. Always." Carlos answered, handing him the pencil in his pocket. "A scientist is always prepared." Cecil quickly scrolled down his number.

"Oh? So you're a scientist?" Cecil remarked as he handed both things back. "You'll have to teach me sometime. I'm _VERY_ into science these days." Carlos felt his palms getting sweaty, thanking his body that he wasn't blushing. "So, is Saturday good?"

"Yeah, yeah. Saturday's good." Carlos replied, hoping Cecil would leave soon so he wouldn't see him blushing.

"Alright. Call or text me. And maybe we can go to that diner I saw on the drive in. Bye!" The boy waved, practically skipping down the hall. Carlos breathed for what felt the first time in ages, and took a look down at the number he'd received.

_Cecil G. Palmer  
323-283-8650_

Well, now he just has to wait for Saturday.


	2. Chapter 2

> Follow your heart. It's in the styrofoam cooler on the back of that pickup up ahead. Step on it. You haven't much time.

Cecil was ecstatic. Today was Saturaday, and he was going on a date. WITH CARLOS! Ok, well, he hadn't exactly called it a date. Just that Carlos was going to show him around town since he was new. But it was still him all day together with Perfect Carlos.

Cecil had fallen in love with the scientist instantly. With his strong jaw and those strong teeth and his oaky skin and his hair. Oh his dark curly perfect hair with little tips of gray by his forehead. Just ... everything. Everything about Carlos was perfectly imperfect. He liked that.

"I heading out, Austin!" He called down the hall.

"Abby! For the last time, it's Abby!" He, oh sorry, she shouted from her room. Abby poked her head out of her room, obviously a little ticked off at Cecil's mistake. "Try to get that right next time, Cecil."

"Sorry, Au...Abby. Abby." He corrected. "I just don't understand why you advertised yourself as a boy in a new town when you identify as a girl."

"Because I'm proud of the fact that I'm transgender, like you're proud of being homoromantic."

"I'm homosexual, not homoromantic."

"You're 16! How do you know your sexuality already?"

"How did you know you weren't a guy?" Cecil retorted, and Abby stayed silent. "It's just, I don't feel anything when it comes to girls. But around some guys I just wanna shove them up against the wall and ..."

"Ok, Cecil, that's a little too NSFW for me. Don't you have to go meet a future boyfriend or something?"

"Yes, I do. Thanks. Is, uh, mom ...?"

"No." Abby interrupts. "She ... went out again." Cecil doesn't say anything to this. He simply mouths 'Oh', grabs his phone and some money from the kitchen table, and leaves. He doesn't let out a breath until he's on his bike riding to the address Carlos had texted.

Did he mention he had Carlos's number?

<(•)>

"Thank you again for showing me around Carlos. I really liked this tour and the food here is really good even if I'm only having a salad. A salad is very hard to mess up but still I think it tastes good. But there's so many things that I could do here like the bowling alley and roller rink and the pool. Even though it's closed, I'm excited about it since we really don't have a pool in my old town. Sorry, am I rambling again?"

"Yes, you have." Carlos laughed. The two were finishing up the town tour at the local diner, the one Cecil had spotted on the drive in. Carlos was having a burger while Cecil simply ordered a salad. He wanted to avoid wheat and wheat by-products as much as possible.

"Sorry." He blushed.

"It's fine." Carlos assured him, making Cecil smile. "When you talk it's really ... captivating. Especially when you talk about what you're passionate about."

"Oh. Thanks." Cecil felt himself blushing again. "So, obviously I talk a lot and you probably know a lot about me. What about you?"

"Um ... well, I want to become a scientist when I'm older."

"I can tell by the lab coat." Cecil said as he gestured to the lab coat that hung loosely over Carlos's red plaid shirt. Or maybe it was flannel. He could never tell the difference anyways.

"Oh, this?" Carlos rugged at the sleeve. "It's just a gift from my mom for my birthday."

"Your mom seems nice. And you talk about her a lot when I'm not talking so much. What about the rest of your family."

"Nope. Just me and my mom against the world. Me and her." Carlos seemed nervous about talking about it, so Cecil did what he did best. Talk.

"I guess that's the same with me too. Just me, my mom, and my sister. My mom isn't home much though, so really just me and my sister."

"I thought you only had a brother?" Cecil let out a breath he was holding. Topic successfully averted.

"Well, biologically I do. But my sibling doesn't think that the gender designated at birth is one that she agrees with."

"So, he's transgender?" He nodded. "Then why let everyone thing your a male if you identify female."

"You know, I had this exact same argument with her before I left the house to meet up with you." Carlos laughed a little. This made Cecil smile again. "But apparently she's proud to be transgender. Maybe being a part of the LBGT+ community is like that, you know? I mean, I'm gay and I'm proud of that fact. Maybe hiding it just makes it feel worse. I really don't know. I'm just making assumptions based on my own beliefs." There was a brief silence, which felt like longer to Cecil.

"It makes sense."

"You think?"

"Yeah. I'm ... never mind." He trailed off. "Just know that I understand."

"You're what?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"No, I want to know." Cecil pressed. "What are you?"

"Cecil, I'm not uncomfortable with many things, but talking openly about my sexuality is one of them. Can you please just drop it?"

"Sure, I can do that." They sat is silence for a little while, Cecil picking at the remains of his salad while Carlos drank the last of his Sprite.

"It's weird to see you not talking." Carlos finally said.

"Well, I have been told I have a really good voice, although Abby doesn't seem to think so at times. I was actually an intern at my local radio station before I moved, though I probably already told you that. But I didn't see a radio station here, which is a bummer. But I think there is one close by because I did listen to the radio on the drive here and it sounded pretty clear to me. But I really can't tell how close it is since I'm not a scientist like you are but I do hope they offer internships because I'm 16 and I'd hopefully be able to get my learner's permit soon."

"There's the Cecil I know."

<(•)>

"I had a really nice time with you today Carlos. Thank you again."

"It was no big deal." The boys were outside of Carlos's house, the sun setting on the horizon.

"Do you think ... maybe we could hang out another time? I'm free on Tuesday."

"What's today, the 12th?" Carlos asked as he pulled his bike into the garage. Cecil nodded.

"October 12, 2013. Tuesday will be the 15th."

"Sorry, I can't. Me and my mom already have something planned."

"Oh." Cecil responded, his smile dropping. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, but he ignored it.

"But I'm free the rest of the week!" Carlos blurted out. "Maybe ... Maybe we can talk about when we want to meet up on Monday at lunch."

"That sounds ... Neat!" Cecil felt himself begin to blush, but luckily Carlos didn't seem to notice. "See you, Monday!"

"See you Monday." Once Carlos disappeared inside his house, Cecil slapped himself in the face.

"Neat? Ugh, how embarrassing. Neat was the best thing I could come up with?" He muttered as he began peddling down the street. About halfway to his house, he stopped.

"I should really check those messages." He said to no one since nobody was around. He pulled out his phone, and saw he had a new message from his friend, Dana.

**_How's everything going?_ **

He knew she meant the reason he came here in the first place. Cecil was crunched for time, and Dana wasn't one to waste her words. He replied back.

**_Perfect_ **

**_Sure you'll be done in time?_ **

**_Definitely. This is actually going better than we though it would_ **

**_You do know you don't exactly have all the time in the world_ **

**_I know, I know_ **

**_Good. Then hurry. We might have less of it than we thought_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the number is real.   
> No, it's not mine. It has importance in another fandom. 
> 
> #FLSKHUKXQW


End file.
